


The Sealed Gate

by Xephinetsa



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Gen, Riften
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2014-02-22
Packaged: 2018-01-13 09:22:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1221025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xephinetsa/pseuds/Xephinetsa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Have you ever wondered why there is a sealed gate in Riften? Read on to find the answer...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sealed Gate

14th of Rain's Hand, 4E 201, 8:04pm

_Today I decided to explore the South Gate in Riften. I had always wondered why on Tamriel it was sealed off, and recently the unanswered question had been lurking at the back of my mind, irritating, like an itch that you can't reach. I figured it was about time to set it to rest, but when I approached the gate, I got the feeling that I was being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled, and I experienced the uncontrollable urge to turn and run as fast as I could back to the safety of my home. However, I steeled myself and continued on my way, trying my best to ignore the overwhelming sense of dread that seemed to increase the closer I got to the gate. When I was but an arm's length away from the unyielding wood, I reached out and placed my hand upon it. I could have sworn I felt a pulse of energy transfer from the gate to my flesh, but I'm relating that to my nerves. When I looked up, I caught a glimpse of a figure, hooded in black robes, standing upon the city wall. I blinked and it was gone, leaving me to think it was but a figment of my imagination. I now sit at my desk, writing frantically in my journal before I forget the events of today. Already I feel the memory of the hooded figure slipping away..._

 

1st of Second Seed, 4E 201, 2:11am

_It's been sixteen days since I last wrote in my journal. I've visited the South Gate several times since my previous entry, and each visit has been increasingly unusual. I have not seen the hooded figure again, but I have seen a mudcrab, wearing ladies' undergarments, which was a sight I could have lived without. For some reason, each time I approach the gate, I can hear a sort of low humming emanating from the sealed wood. The hum is so low it's almost impossible to pick up, but I know it's there. I feel it pulsing through my body. I must discover the reasons behind these oddities! There is always an explanation._

 

3rd of Second Seed, 4E 201, 4:20pm

_Today I went to the marketplace, and inquired about the sealed gate. Strangely, each person I spoke to claims no knowledge of a sealed gate. In fact, they seem quite convinced that there is no gate to the south of the city, just wall. When I insisted, they frowned, muttered an excuse, and quickly moved away from my location, stealing furtive glances in my direction. Frustrated, I quit the market and went back to the gate, this time shouting inappropriate words and phrases in the hope that it would entice the gate guardian (what I have taken to calling the hooded figure) to reveal itself. It did not, but it did leave me feeling a little better, having expressed my thoughts and emotions to the guardian (for I am convinced that it was listening)._

 

10th of Second Seed, 4E 201, 10:34pm

_I haven't had the time to sit down and write in my journal for several days now, I've been too preoccupied with solving the mystery of the gate. I've barely slept, and people are beginning to notice my frequent trips to the south side of Riften. I think some of them think me mad. Ha! I am perfectly sane, thank you. I've taken to exploring different ways of communicating with the gate guardian. My first attempt, dressing up in ladies' undergarments and chanting in the language of mudcrabs yielded limited results. I thought perhaps the mudcrab had been somehow linked to the guardian, but I conclude that the two incidents are unrelated. All I got from my first attempt is waking nightmares, and a perpetual feeling of shame that I see reflected in the eyes of those that I pass by, before they lower their heads and shuffle away._

 

11th of Second Seed, 4E 201, 6:19am

_I woke today to find a rusted key inside a pie. I believe that this is some kind of cryptic message from the gate guardian him/herself. I have spent several hours this morning, trying to decipher what the message could mean. My most promising interpretation is as follows:_

Eerg ak illimup rew qui nooniir chi  
Ah Jert beel niis iqua!  
Plert gri nuvs frer gharn wosir blanir  
Ah tren chek qer col sy!

_I may be onto something here. I must cease writing in my journal to continue with my research._

 

11th of Second Seed, 4E 201, 7:43am

_It seems I somehow misinterpreted the rusted key in the pie. I have since received a note wishing me the best for my newborn son, even though I am father to none. Perhaps I have offended the guardian? If I have, I must find a way to make amends, for I feel that I am very close to discovering the secret of the sealed door!_

 

6th of Mid Year, 4E 201, 1:23am

_Time has lost all meaning to me. My life is consumed by the search for the answer. I previously stated that I was close to solving the mystery, however my discoveries since have proved that statement to be false. It goes much deeper than Riften. Perhaps even deeper than Skyrim. I seem to be the only one who can see the gate, and each time I approach it, a new oddity occurs, independent of time and physics. Almost as if there is a_ rift _in Riften. It feels older than time itself. I don't know if I'll ever find the answer to the sealed gate, but I know that I will spend the rest of my life searching. I cannot stop now!_

 

7th of Mid Year, 4E 201, 11:01pm

_Just a few minutes ago, I heard a loud noise coming from the adjacent room. I immediately abandoned my research to investigate, and I found my kitchen to be in disarray. Utensils littered the floors, all but one of my sweetrolls were missing, and a note was scratched into the wood of my bench. It read:_

Regular broadcasting will resume shortly. We apologise for any inconveniences.

_What by the Nine Divines does 'broadcasting' mean? If that weren't enough to confuse me, in fine print (strangely neat when compared to the main bulk of the message) I read:_

Continue meddling and your collection of aged mammoth cheese will be confiscated.

_I have never been one to respond to threats, so I will carry on with my research._

 

10th of Mid Year, 4E 201, 8:34am

_My mammoth cheese has disappeared! The gate guardian has gone too far now. I am going straight down to the South Gate and I will give that guardian a piece of my mind!_

 

[The rest of the pages have been ripped out, and there is a mysterious dark stain on the back cover of the journal.]

 _You close the journal and look up, your eyebrows drawn together in a frown. What South Gate? you think to yourself. You place the journal in a pouch at your waist and get up from your seat. You find yourself outside and walking towards the south side of Riften before you even realise what you are doing. As you approach the wall, you think you see a hooded figure standing in front of a sealed gate, but when you blink it disappears. A voice whispers inside your head:_ If you think you just saw a hooded figure standing in front of a sealed gate, you didn't. We apologise for any inconvenience, and the possible mental issues that may follow.


End file.
